Page 13 of Memory of Murder (Colby Agency: The Next Generation #3)

“Thank you.” She gazed steadily at the former best friend of Mary’s. “And thank you for seeing us. Jack and I have a great deal of research to do.”

The older woman’s lips twitched in what might’ve been construed as a smile, but the effort was vague and lackluster.

“I assume the two of you are looking into your mother’s history—at least, that’s what I’ve heard. If that’s the case, I’m happy to help any way I can.”

Well, well. It seemed the kindly Judith had put the word out.

Good. Anne had hoped she would. At the same time, Anne was a little disappointed.

The woman had claimed to be a friend of her mother’s.

Apparently that loyalty only went as far as the senator’s address.

Anne wondered if Jack had assumed or hoped for the same.

“We’d like to hear about the days and weeks leading up to the murder.” Jack launched into the questions. “I’ve read the statements from the investigation, and they seem a tad incomplete.”

“Incomplete?” Eve eyed him speculatively. “How so?”

“According to what we know, you, Mary Morton and Carin Carter Wallace spent a good deal of time together. You had been friends for many years at the time of the murder.”

Eve made a single nod. “That’s correct. You should have read as much in my statement.”

“We did.” Anne waded in. “My question is given the fact that you and Mary were so close, didn’t you suspect or sense something was wrong—wrong enough to result in murder?”

The silence that followed echoed in the room like the nothingness that trailed a sonic blast.

Eve smiled then, something more than a mere twitch. She appeared to find the question amusing. “The detective asked me this as well.”

“Your answer,” Jack inserted, “was not documented in the file. There was some vague mention of you being out of town.”

This time she actually laughed. The sound was dry, half-hearted. “Detective Jones was young. Only a few years older than we were at the time. I’m not sure he had a clue what he was doing.”

“Jack said the same thing,” Anne pointed out. “It’s insane that not a single appeal was granted considering the incompetent investigation and the subpar legal counsel Mary received.”

Eve lifted her chin ever so slightly. “If that’s how you feel, have you looked into what avenues you have to rectify those shortfalls? I can’t imagine the city would want to enter into any sort of civil litigation. A settlement would likely be far more appealing.”

Was the woman subtlety offering a payoff to shut Anne down? She didn’t have to say the words outright. Anne saw it in her eyes—the anticipation. The offer was loud and clear. “So you agree there was negligence involved. Mary’s conviction may have been a miscarriage of justice.”

“Sadly, I don’t agree.” Eve sighed, crossed her hands on her lap.

“As difficult as it was to believe in the beginning, I long ago faced the reality that Mary must have killed Neil. It was the only logical answer. Was the murder investigated as it should have been? Unquestionably not. Did she receive proper legal representation? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t guilty.

If you’re looking to clear her name, I must warn you that you will be gravely disappointed.

You’re far more likely to prove she wasn’t properly represented by counsel. ”

Startled by the woman’s certainty, Anne held up a hand. “I’m not looking to do anything but find the truth. That’s why I need your help. You were her best friend, after all.”

A standoff of sorts passed between them. Eve broke first.

“As your friend pointed out—” she gestured to Jack “—I was not here in the days that led up to the murder. Mary was busy with wedding plans and with her pregnancy. We didn’t spend a lot of time together those final weeks.”

“Where were you that final week before the murder?” Jack asked. “You stated that you were visiting your grandmother in Rockford, but I didn’t find any statement from your grandmother confirming your alibi.”

A hint of pink flushed her cheeks, and Anne barely resisted the urge to grin.

“It should be there,” Eve argued. “Perhaps it was lost.”

“Can anyone confirm you were at your grandmother’s?” he asked.

“Well, since my grandmother is deceased, as are my parents,” she admitted, “I suppose you’ll have to take my word for it. She was ill at the time and needed me. My parents were on a month-long cruise.”

“The prosecution suggested that Neil Reed was having an affair.” Anne moved in a hopefully more constructive direction. “Were you aware of this? Did Mary give any indication of being worried about something like this?”

“She did mention having concerns about him.” Eve’s full attention turned to Anne. “Your mother was very intuitive. If Neil lied to her, she would have seen right through his efforts.”

“If he was aware of this,” Anne countered, “why would he bother lying? Then again, Mary had no history of violence. She didn’t own a gun. There was never an explanation of where the gun came from.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea. I can only say that she had concerns about her future husband.

Perhaps it was merely cold feet.” Eve lifted her hand toward Anne.

“Or perhaps it was because she’d learned she was pregnant and any second thoughts were a little late.

Whatever the case, she is the only person who could possibly have had a motive to kill Neil.

There was no one else.” She stood, obviously ready to dismiss them.

“One final question,” Jack said as he, too, stood.

Anne followed suit. Hoped his question was one that would leave the woman with something to think about.

Eve looked to him in expectation.

“Was Neil the one who introduced the senator to Michael Smith? It seems his work and investments in BioTech were very good moves.” He glanced around the room. “Obviously it changed your life.”

She blinked once, twice. “I’m afraid I have no idea.

My husband served as lead counsel to Michael Smith and his company for a decade.

I don’t recall how they met. You would have to ask my husband, and he is very busy.

He has to return to DC next week for the new session.

I doubt he’ll have time to meet with you before then. ”

“No problem,” Jack insisted. “There are public records I can look through. I’m sure the senator disclosed his employment with and investment ties to BioTech when he took office.”

“I’m sure.” The senator’s wife led the way back to the front door. She waited there and watched as they exited.

When she would have closed the door Anne decided to take one last shot at unsettling her. If the endgame was to rouse a reaction, they needed a good, strong final move.

“I’ve always wondered,” she said to the woman standing in the doorway to her own private castle, “why no one—and you were her best friend—visited Mary in prison or helped with me after I was born. It was a shame I had to be thrust into foster care.”

Eve stared at Anne for a long moment. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you that I was young and uncertain about my future.

Kevin hadn’t proposed, and frankly, I had no idea where my future was going.

I simply couldn’t take on the added responsibility.

” She looked away for a few seconds before meeting Anne’s gaze once more.

“It’s a shame, though, what happened to you.

I hope you won’t allow the past to define your future. ”

When Anne and Jack were in his car driving away, she couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or to cry.

She had worked very hard not to allow her past to define her present or her future.

But this…this thing they were doing was different.

Wasn’t it?

Suddenly she felt uncertain again. Why even go down this path? What did it matter, really?

“She wanted to make you feel unsure of yourself.” Jack apparently read her mind.

“She did that rightly enough.” Anne collapsed deeper into the seat and stared out the window. All those hurtful feelings related to her mother and the loneliness crushed in on her.

“I’m guessing,” he said with a quick glance at her, “that we completely unhinged the lady. I’ll bet she’s on the phone right now calling her husband and demanding he take some sort of action.”

A smile tugged at Anne’s lips. “And next she’ll call her friend Carin and warn her that the you-know-what is hitting the fan.”

Jack laughed. “Exactly.”

Anne drew in a really big breath and let it out slowly. “I swear it felt exactly like she was trying to tell me there was money to be had if I was willing to let this whole thing go.”

“The conversation did take a bit of a turn in that direction. If that was her intent, she was definitely sly about it.”

“Sly like a fox,” Anne noted. “I’m getting this feeling that something is wrong where this BioTech business is concerned. Kevin Langston served as lead counsel for the start-up, but it sounded in the journal as if that was the position Neil was being considered for.”

“I’ll get someone looking into the possibility. Particularly now that we can make the connection between the friends.”

“Thanks.” Anne stared forward. “All right, so what’s next?”

“I checked with the senior living community, and we’ve been added to Mr. Reed’s visitor’s list.”

“How did you manage that?” The fact that her pulse rate suddenly shot into rapid-fire had her feeling uncertain again. The man was her grandfather…and yet he had abandoned her just like everyone else.

“I can’t give away all my secrets.”

Anne laughed, the sound a little strangled. As long as his secret skills got the job done, she could live without knowing.

Reed Residence

The Sparkling Springs

Crystal Lake, 1:00 p.m.

T HIS WAS DEFINITELY not your typical senior living community.